Wood flooring



l Nov. 1.7, 1942. l

R. G. .BRUCE wooD FLOORING Patented Nov. 17, 1942 WOOD FLOORING Robert G. Bruce, Memphis, Tenn., assignor to E. L. Bruce Company, Memphis, Tenn., a, corporation of Delaware Application February 17, 1941, Serial N0. 379,358

2 Claims.

My invention relates to wood ooring of the type where there is a, tongue and a groove connection between adjacent strips. In the manufacture of such type of flooring, the connection between Ithe tongue and groove has usually been made sufliciently loose so that interengagement of the strips of flooring could be affected easily, i. e., they could be easily laid. With certain types of flooring, however, and particularly where the strip is to be factory finished, it is desirable that the flooring should be manufactured with a tight match or i'lt, to avoid producing overwood and surface unevenness which often results from a loose match, and vwhich might affect the appearance of the floor. When the flooring is to be finished after being laid, such unevennesses are of no consequence because they are removed by the sanding or scraping operation. Factory finished flooring can not be sanded nor scraped. Also such flooring must move easily into place to avoid hammering same up, and with possibility of destruction or damage to the finished surface in such driving up process. Dry wood in tight t produces considerable frictional resistance.

In connection with factory finished oors requiring tight matching, I have found it is desirable to lubrcate the groove of each piece so that the tongue can be readily inserted therein. This can be effected best by applying some lubricating material in the groove of the strip. I prefer to coat the groove rather than the tongue of the strip because when the tongue is covered with the lubricant and the nail is driven through the tongue, the lubricating material may adhere to the nail and so it will not hold properly, or it may get on nail or hammer heads, causing trouble,in nailing or setting of nails. There is also a further advantage that the lubricant cannot be wiped or knocked off of the groove as would be the case in application of lubricant yto the tongue.

The application ofthe lubricant to the longitudinal sides of the groove is particularly important because these are the surfaces that, come in frictional Contact with the tongue, when it enters the groove. To avoid any waste in lubricating materials, the longitudinal faces of the groove can be coated in any suitable manner, such as by a brush, spray or roller.

Any suitable kind of oils or greases can be used but para-hin is preferred because it does not tend to flow or wick over to the crack of the oor and to the floor surface. When this occurs, it affects the iinish or subsequent finishing, and may discolor the oor surface. At normal temperatures, paraffin is a solid. and preferred for lthis reason. It will not tend to squeeze out as might be the case with some oils and greases, the quantity of which would have to be kept to the minimum for good results. A lubricant also that is stable and will not dissipate itself by evaporation prior to the laying process is desirable, and paran has these properties.

Referring to' the drawing, Fig. 1 is a cross section of iiooring strips showing the tongue and groove joint.

The flooring strip has a tongue 2 along one side which engages with a groove 3 along the edge of an adjacent strip Il in the panel. The lubricant 5 is vapplied along the longitudinal faces 6 and 'I of the groove 3. The strips are usually secured to the subfloor by nails 8 driven through the tongue side of the strip into the floor. When using flooring that has been given its final nish before laying, the edges may be beveled so as to produce a slight groove 9 in the floor panel.

This application is -a continuation in part of my Patent No. 2,288,135, granted May 12, 1942.

I claim:

1. A wood flooring unit provided with a groove having parallel faces, for interengagement with a tongue having parallel faces of an adjacent unit to make a panel and lubricating material applied to the longitudinal faces of the groove in an amount to facilitate entry of the tongue into the groove.

2. The wood flooring unit of claim 1 in which the lubricating material is paraffin.

ROBERT G. BRUCE. 

